Knockdown shipping case or box.



, W. H. DOBLE. KNOGKDOWN SHIPPING CASE 0R BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DEGE24.1908.

Pateiteanov. 23, ,1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ITT/5mm".

/khweww -WIi f platt-sy formcum thodttleren. end tlaps which narrower sides B, D, of the box are each' lap onto each other made to cooperate with a year.

Uhllrlhtlf) PATENT OFFUE.

WILLIAM H. DOBLE, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE .ASSIGNll/IENTS, OF THREE-FOURTHS TO HENRIETTA W. DOBLE, OF QUINCY, MASSA- CHUSETTS, AND ONE-FOURTH TO PNEUMATIC SCALE CORPORATION LIMITED. OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

KNOCKDOWN SHIPPNG CASE OR BOX.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

Application filed December 24, 1908, Serial No. 469,040.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Donne, citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and ,useful Improvements in Knockdown Shipping Cases orBoxes, of which the lfollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

One of the large items of expense to manufacturers of many kinds of goods is the cost of shipping cases. lt is the general custom to makethe shipping cases of wood, and in most instances these eases after they have been once used are good for nothing except to' be vknocked to pieces for kindlings. The item of vexpense for such packing cases alone in case of larve manufacturers amounts to manythousanids of dollars in the course 'ot' The object of my invention is to provide a shipping case which shall be both strong and. durable and which can be folded up linto compact forni to be returned to the shipper after the goods have been unpacked by lthe receiver so that the shipping case can be used repeatedly. rlhe expense for returning the folded empty box to the shipper is much less than the cost of a new box of. the ordinary construction as of wood, and in this way a very greaty saving is made in the course of a year. l

ln the preferred form ot' construction embodying my invention the box made o'lI corrugated sheet metal ol' somewhat the sanngeneral form as ki'tock-tlovxn cartons, the four side;` being hinged together -o as to fold instead of heilig creased to fold as in the or dinary folding carton and being provided with lfour end flaps at each end hinged to t the ends of the respective side panels; that s,each ofthe four sides is provided with an tend flap at each tud hinged thereto .so as to )fold over and close the ends and havingI means for firmly locking the endsl to ,secure them instead ot' having them glued or of having the slot and tongue connection which iscolmnon with papel' cartons. lt is also y prt'fterred to have the corrugations of the l each otherin such manner that they will nest together.

The invention will loe fully understood from the following description taken in con lncction with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of the specitication.

In the drawings,-Figure l is a perspective of a portion of a box embodying my invention showing a portion of the body of a box` and the end closing flaps for one end, the box being squared out and filled and ready for folding'tlie end flaps. ltig. 2 is a perspective showing the complete box, the bottoni being entirely closed, the two end flaps for the top being folded; one of the side flaps being partially folded, and the other side flap being unfolded. Fig. 3 is an end view of the box'when closed and locked. Fig. 4' is a section on line #tl ot' lfig. il. Fig. l3 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. t shows the use of a seal in connection with the locking bar. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 ofFig. (l. Fig. 8 is a section of the box showing the four sides and bottom.

.teferring toy the dra\\'i1igs,-the body of the box comprises four plates A, l5, U and D hinged together at their proximate edges in such manner that it may be knocked down and the four sides may be folded tlat.v semen-'hat after the manner of the body of an ordinary collapsible carton. The hinge joints may be made in any suit,- able manner, that preferred being as shown, that is-each edge of each of the painels or sides A, l, C, l) is formed with a serias of eut-ls l whichcoiiperate with a series of curls on 4the proximate edge ot the adjoining panel through all of which the hinge wire passes for uniting them together. llmged to the upper end of each of the side .n panel plates A, B, (i. l), respectively are the flaps l), l", G, ll, and hinged to the lovver end of each of the plates A, l, C, D, are end closing llaps similar to the end closing flaps E, l", G, H. The end flaps x lf, li, which, if the box is made oblong in cross-section, 'are preferably hinged to the .made to extend half .vay across the end of the box so that when the end flaps l", H,

are folded, the edges \vill meet Without over-y lapping each other as is eomnionwith cartons. The side flap G then Jfolds over on top oi the flaps F, H, and the llap E folds outside ot' the [lap G.

Each ot the plates Aforniingthe sides and the end flaps' is preferably formed with corrugations both longitudinally and transversely which may be iliade by stamping the metal. yThe objectl ot these corriigntions is to strengthen and stiften the plates so that with a given thivlmess of' sheet metal of which the box is formed the l.L 'reatest amount of rigidity and strength may be obtained. The preferred torni ot' these corriigations is that they should form a series of cup-shaped" depressions with sloping sides and preferably with flat bottoms and lint topped elevations between the' depressions. ln order also that the end closing flaps which overlap each other when the carton is set up and the-end flaps are closed inay fit (closely together, it is desirable that the eorrugaiions in the l'lap G which overlaps the llaps ll, F, shall be formed in such manner :is to nest therein and the coritiigations in the liap E which overlaps the llapsG shall be formed so as'to nest in the oorrugiitions ofl the llap G as shown in Figs. l and 5. To this end the bottoms 2 ol the depressionsin tho end flaps H, F, arel made. of greater diameter than the 'bottoms ot the depressions 21 in the side llap G, and the bottoms of tho depressions 22 in the sido llap E Which is the last to he. folded are ot less diameter than the bottoms ot' the depressions in the flap G 'as clearly shoivn in Figs. l, and Preferably the end llaps IL, F, are formed with a border il around the lhreeisidos which are hinged somewhat higher than the tops l of the vorrueations inleriiiediali` the borders 2l, and the side (lap (i is similarly formed with a border 5 at a higher elevation lthan the tops (3 ot' the intermediate. eoirngations and the side llap l) is formed with a border 7 of a higher elevation than the tops S of the intermediate eorrueations. The purpose of having these raised*borders is to forni a irin abuliiioiit loi the inclined sides O'l" the depressions `or eorrue'ations at their oiitor edges to resist lateral distortion of the -liaps and hold them a, little more rigidly together.

lii order to loi'lc'the end closingllaps together atlir they are folded, lV provide a slot and.l staple construvtion for intereng'aging and locking' the ps. As shown in the drawings the end flaps ll, F, are provided with staples 9 projecting upwardly therefrom, and I provide the side [laps l), G, willi slots l() through which the staples-9 `projm-,t when the side flaps E, are closed.

(ln nach end oi the outer llzipmthat is, the flap 'll when they are all Closeil,-is pivoled iil locking bar-1l pivoted to the llap 1G at i l2, this looking bar having :it eiieh end hooks 13 which are adapted Vto engage with .the projecting staples 9 as shown in Figs. and (3 when the locking bar is turned on its pivot for that purpose after the flaps are 7o closed. These hooks n iay be made to lit within the staples so snugly as to friction ally prevent the bar from being easily dis engaged. In order to a'tlord greater seeiiiity. however, I preler to have the bar.75 locked in some suitable Way. One means of doing this is to forni the hooks 13 with holes '14 near their outer ends through which may be passed ay nire l5 whose ends may be sealed together by a seal 1.6 or in Sonie other go way. i

what I claim is:-

LA knock-down shipping cass oi*- boX having,` four plates which form foin' sides of the body of the box hinged together and. i having end elosing this hinged to. the` ends of the side forming p aies, lthe end closing flaps beingl each formed with a sunken panel embordered by 'a flange raised above the sunken panel, said sunken panels in the respectiveends being so formed with relation to each other that vWhen the box is set up and the end iiaps are folded upon each other to close the end they Willl nest together.

. 2. A .knock-down shipping oase or box ha ving foiir plates which form four sides of the body of the box hinged together and having end closing tlaps'hinged to thevends ot' the side formingv plates, 'each end closing v tlap being formed with a sunken panel' em- 100 bordered by a flange raised above the sunken panel, said vsunken panels having flaring walls connecting them With said flanges thereby making in the-flaps depressions with` l llaring walls so constructed With relation to` each other that when thebox is set up and the end flaps are folded upon, each other to close lthe end they will nesttogether. y

8. A knock down shipping case or' box made of plates which are corrugated both longitudinally and transversely, said box i having four plates which forni foin" sides of the body of the box hinged together and having end closing flaps hinged to the ends of said. side forming plates, the eorriigations in 11F. the end closing laps being so constructed that when the box is set up and the end llaps'elosed the corriigiitions in the several [hips will nest together each with its next adjacent inner flap. 12o A lnioek down shipping ease or box made of plates :which are corrugated both longitudinally and transversely, said box. having four plates which form four sidesofi the body ofthe box hinged together 'n having end f -losing llaps hingedvto the. o t' the side forming plates and the end di ing flaps beine; .formed with a sunken panel eiirbordered by a thnx tlange., the senken i panel being formed wil pockets the pockets of the severalaps being so constructed `that the pockets of`each flap Will nest Withfthe'poclrets of the flaps onto which it is folded when the box is set n1).

5. A' box having end closing naps adapted to be successively folded one upon another to close the ends, one of said end`closing flaps being adapted ,to Abeinnermost when folded and provided With staple eyes near opposite ends, the others of said end closing flaps being formed with slots through which when folded the eyes Aof said first folded end Haps are adapted to project outwardly, and

av fastening bar pivoted intermediate its ends tothe outermost flap, said bar having on its opposite arms hooks Which are adapted to engage with the projecting eyes.`

5. A box having end closing flaps adapted to be successively folded one upon another to close tne ends, one of said vend closing fiaps being provided 'with staple eyes near roposite ends and' adapted to be the innermost when folded, the others of saidf end closing flaps being formed with slots through which when folded the eyes ofsaid first folded end flaps-are adapted to project outwardlyband a fastening bar pivoted intermediate its' ends to the outermost flap,

thehar haring on its opposite arms hooks which :g1-1e adapted'to engage with the pro jeetin'g eyes', and means for locking the hooks in@ the eyes- 7. A knQkdown shipping case or box made .Of In lie plates hinged together to form the es and ends of the box, four of said plates being hinged. together at their side edges in endless series to form the sides of the box, each `side member being hinged at both side edges to the adjacent side members, the others of said plates being hinged to the ends of the side forming plates to form end closing flaps, said end closing flaps being formed with depressed panelsso constructed as to adapt all' of the end closing flaps for each end to nest together 'when the box is set up. i

In testimony whereof I aix my signature, in presence'of two Witnesses.A

4 l WILLIAM H.' DOBLE.

Witnesses: i

WILLIAM A. COPELAND, ALICE H. MonmsoN. f 

